Well flowing device



Dec. 22, 1953 Filed 001:. 3, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I\ %:I I a, fi

N z /ey FIG. 2

F IG.\ HENRY u. GARRETT CLIFFORD M PETER3 INVENTORS.

Dec. 22, 1953 H. u. GARRETT ETAL WELL FLOWING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1946 3 2 1 4 7/ M$ M MM 8 o 22 4 2 2 2 3 4 7 I ,0 Z Z w H 5 HENRY U. GARR E TT FIG.4

Dec. 22. 1953 H. u. GARRETT EI'AL WELL FLOWING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 3, 1946 Henry U. Gar/eff C//fforc M Pe/em INVENTORS ATTORNEVJ Patented Dec. 22, 1953 WELL FLOWING DEVICE Henry U. Garrett and Clifford M. Peters, Longview, Tex., assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Garrett Oil Tools, Inc., Houston, .Tex., a corporation of Texas Application October 3, 1946, Serial N 0. 700,880

This invention relates to well flowing devices and moreparticularly to a new and improved valve mechanism for controlling the flow of fluids from wells through the use of the method of producing wells.

In the gasor air-lift method of producing wells, a bottom hole intermitter valve, may be used to permit oil or other fluids to rise to a head above the valve during the heading period until a predetermined condition is reached whereupon applied pressure within the casing maybe utilized to blow oif the accumulated head after which a succeeding and like cycle may be initiated. In a similar manner a series of flow valves may be spaced along a tubing string and such valves are so adjusted as to operate successively from casing pressure to aerate and blow off successive portions of accumulated liquid head.

Valves of this type are usually loaded to operate within predetermined limits of pressure, and such loading may be effected through the use of spring means or the use of a chamber having a distensible valve actuating element'such as a. diaphragm bellows or the like. Insuch devices the loading is predetermined and is'fixed when the valve is lowered into the well. If flowing congasor air-lift ditions change considerably, as is inevitable during the producing life of a well, it may be necessary to readjust the loading of the valve or valves for operation at pressures diiferent from those for which they were initially set. Such readjustment can be accomplished only by withdrawing the valve or valves from the well.

The present invention is concerned with, and it is one of the objects of the invention, to provide a valve of the typeabove indicated which may be desirably loaded or charged by controlling the fluid pressure applied within a well to effect flowing of the well through a string of pipe therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a charged valve in which the maximum differential pressure between the opposite surfaces of the distensiblevalve actuating element is fixed regardless of the pressure that isexerted to eifect flowing of the well.

A still further object is to provideaflow valve in which the valve is charged with a pressure tending toretain the valve closed, the cooperating elements of the valve being so constructed-and arranged that the charging pressure may be altered at will-without removing the valve from the well.

Still another is of particular utility asan intermitter valve and in which the charging pressure, and hence the operating pressure, may. be .readily. controlled .by.

object isto provide a valve that 1.Claim.' (Cl. 103-228) controlling the fluid pressure admitted to the well' in which the valve is used.

The foregoing general statements and objects of the invention, together with other objects and advantages, will be better understood from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view illustrating one form of the invention as' applied to a section of tubing comprising a portion of the flow string tubing.

In, the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the pipe I comprising a section of the flow tubing has a surrounding volume skirt 2 of which the upper end is tapered at 3 and is secured to the pipe I as by the weld 4. The lower end of the volume skirt is also shown as tapered at 5, and is provided with a plurality of openings 6 for the ingress andegress of fluid to and from the interior of the skirt. It is intended that the skirt 2 shall be of a length to entrap therein sufficient gaseous fluid that liquids will not rise above a predetermined level when the device is submerged in a liquid within a well.

Within the skirt 2 there is a transverse barrier l0 forming an upper annular or volume chamber II. A pressure differential regulator means ex posed to the ambient pressure via openings 6 in skirt 2 and to the pressure interior of chamber H is provided to maintain within a predetermined range the differential in pressure between the interior and exterior of chamber ll. Thus, such means can comprise a pressure diiferential regulator in the form of an inlet check valve 12 and another pressure differential regulator in the form of .an outlet check valve [3, wherein the, two valves are secured in openings in the barrier liland the springs M and 15 of these valves are under predetermined compressive stress to hold the balls I6 and I1 upon their respective seats to vserve .a purposethat will presently appear.

engagement with its seat at the lower end of the:

passage 23.

The valve stem 26 is secured to a plate-2T which" is in turn sealably connected:to-theupper ender.

the distensible valve actuating. member shown as.

bellows 28. Inwardly extending :lugs..or; stops:.29

in the housing 2| determine the limit of down-+1 ward movement of the valve 25.. during operation of the device.

The lower end of the element 28 is sealed about).

the upper end of the closure plug 30 at the lower endot the housing. 2|. bored and a small pipe or. tube! .is secured therein, the. opposite end-.of. this tube being. se-

curedto the boss .3'2 .at the.upper .endv of the,

chamber I L Insexplai'ning the. operation .ofthe device .thus far described, it will be. assumed that. the springs M ancl l5 of the valves l2 and 13 are of. such strengths that the balls it and H are held upon their. seats with equal pressures, but it is...to be understood that. thiscondition is not a prerequisite to proper operation of the device. Whe'nthe device. is assembled, atmospheric pressure exists both. internally and exteriorly of the bellows .28...

If. the device is. lowered into a column .of liquid, such liquid will immediately enter the-openings 24 and .will exert a pressure .uponthe bellows 28 that. will effect.downwardtmovement-of the valve 25. whereby. such. liquid is likewise admitted .to the interior of the pipe I. Theinterior. of the. bellows28 andthechamber ll. remains at atmospheric pressure during initial lowering with-, in. the liquid andthe. valve will continue to movedownwardlyuntil it engages the lugs or stops 29 unless in the meantime the pressure be-v lowthe barrier! has. risen sufficiently to open the valve .12 Zandadmit fiuidunder pressure to the. chamber .ll andhenc'e-to the interior of the di'stensible member 28.. It is obvious therefore that .the differential pressure regulator in the form of .valve I2 will charge chamber .ll 'atha' pressure "2165s. .than the maximum value of the.

ambient pressure by ,apredete'rmined amount.

Ifv then, pressure is applied to'lthe surface of the liquid in which the device is immersed, the

liquid will rise'in the pipe or tubing. I and flowing isthusinitiated. If such flow is to be terminated, the pressure about the flow string Land-withinthe casing in which the device is used, isde'- creased or terminated,whereupon the gaseous fluid trappedwithin the chamber. l I and-the diaphragm-Masts to close the valve 25 upon itsseat.

In the applied pressure is greatly 1 reduced oruisi= terminated'ithe differential pressure regulator in:- the 'formpf valve 13 acts as :a relief valve toreleasegas in-excess of the pressure forwhich this..-

valvelis set. Itytherefpre'iis'apparentrthat the maximum. differential. pressure .between 1' the in:

terior and the'exterior of theextensible member.

28" is predetermined and that 1 the differential pressure regulator (valve l3) willrelease a part surecby-a predetermined amount... Furthermore,

Thisv plug. is centrally,

'70 of: the pressure .inchamber H whenithe pressure.

within: the chamber exceeds the;::ambient apres 4 such pressure is not dependent upon that which was used during a previous operating cycle.

It is to be understood that the valve as above described may be utilized as an intermitter valve for controlling the intermittent admission of Well fluids toa-floWastring, i-n-the manner described, and that conventional differentially loaded fiow valves may be used at spaced intervals thereabove tea-assist in maintaining desired flow from the well during intermitting periods.

on the other hand, the valve may be used as a.conventional -flow-.'valve. When the valve is usednrorl such purpose, however, the valves l2 and :13 .of successive flow valves, will have their closure sprin'gs .M-v'and 15 under such compressionv that the charging pressure of successive valves" Will'decrea'se in an orderly manner that automaticopening and closing will occur at such times as to admit ai to aerate th column of liquid in the flowstring l for efiicientproduction of the well. Thus,.the charging pressure for therespective flow val-veswillvary progressivelsrjromv a relatively low pressure to arelatively high pres-- sure from the lowermost to the uppermost ofthe. valves.

Attention is. also directed tothe fact that undersome circumstances, the volume.- skirt below .the valves l2 and may be-ornitted.

It is emphasized here that-thevalvesare-nor mally' uncharged whenthey are lowered into thewell, but that charging=is-automatically .efiected, when fluid pressure is appliedtothearea Within. Of course, some initial charge may be provided if so-.desired.-

the Well'about the flow string vI.

Furthermore, pressure fluid entrapped within the chamber l l, and-hence the diaphragm or bellows- 28, is released through the. valve 13- whenever the surrounding pressurefalls: a predetermined amount. Thesefeatures notonly assureprotection of thedistensiblemember, such as vadia.-

phragm or bellows 28,'from excessive differential pressures, but also enables charging the respective valves asdesired by mere-control of the pressure fluid applied to the-well.

An alternate-formof the valve of the invention.

is showrrinFig. 4-wherei-n:like parts are designated by like reference characters.

a volume chamber H and. the differential pressureregulatorsin the form of valves l2. and i3.

arelocated inthe plug'member 35 to which the lower end of the bellows 28; issealably'attachedlj A :skirtfL35 maybeattached to theplug 3t: and extend downwardly therefrom to serve the same purpose asthe skirt 2 shown in the embodiment of Figs-1 ,2, and 3. A strainer barrier 35 within the skirt assures-that foreignmatter will not be permitted to enter either of the'valves' l2" and l3"; and impair their operation.

It-"is :to be noted that inthis embodiment the stop'or lugs 29 shown inFig'. 3 have been omitted and that instead there'isfprovided a stud 3'! which is attached to the bottom of the plate member.

21 so that the downward movement of -the'valve 25 and associated elements is limited.

are illustratedin detail.in1Fig.;.4 and their .construction: and ,ioperationsdescribed above.

The-operation; oi thealternate embodiment. just described is .thezsame asthelabove .described In this em-.- bodiment the interior of the bellows 28 comprises mode of operation of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

It is to be understood that while the invention is shown and described in connection with the flowing of a well through the tubing therein, the invention also comprehends flowing of a well through the casing in which case the pressure fluid for flowing the well is introduced to the tubing instead of the casing.

Broadly the invention comprehends a well flowing valve mechanism which is so constructed and arranged that the charging pressure thereof may be controlled without removing the valve from the well.

The invention claimed is:

A well flowing device of the class described comprising, a valve housing having a passage therein, a valve in said passage, distensible means operatively connected to said valve to move the valve to and from closed position, a volume chamber communicating with said means, means responsive to ambient pressure for maintaining within a predetermined range the differential in 6 pressure between the interior and the exterior of the chamber, and a downwardly opening volume skirt having communication with the volume chamber to entrap gaseous fluid therein when the device is lowered into liquid within a well.

HENRY U. GARRETT. CLIFFORD M. PETERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

